National 4-H Week

Chatham County 4-H has winning talents!

Our very own Hailey King has been selected as a winner of the 2021 NC 4-H Showcase of Talent. Cheer Hailey on as her song "When There Was Me and You" debuts during the virtual National 4-H Week kickoff event. This will be held on Sunday, October 3rd during our National 4-H Week Kick-Off Event which will feature the 4-H Talent Showcase at 4 pm. To attend Sunday's event, please register by 9 pm Friday, October 1st. The link for Sunday's Kick-Off will be sent to those registered by that time. Congratulations Hailey!

We would also like to congratulate our very own Miles Pica for his winning entry in the NC 4-H Photography Contest. Miles entered his winning photograph of a Monarch Butterfly and entitled the entry "King of Butterfly's." His description read "Monarchs are commonly kings. This is my interpretation of a Monarch Butterfly ruling the flowers at the Chatham Marketplace in Pittsboro, NC." You can view the live celebration of winners on Thursday, October 7th. The Dr. Kim Ingold 4-H Photography Contest winners will Premier on the North Carolina 4-H Facebook Page from 7–8 pm.

Congratulations to both of our Chatham County 4-H winners and to all those who entered in this year's NC 4-H talent and photography contest.

Chatham County 4-H Paper Clover Campaign

Support Chatham County 4-H During the Fall Paper Clover Campaign

October 6th - 17th

Siler City Tractor Supply, 100 Siler Crossing, Siler City, NC 27344

Since 2010, Tractor Supply has partnered with 4‑H to help create Opportunity4All and raise more than $14 million through the Paper Clover campaign. The success of these campaigns has impacted over 81,500 youth by providing them with the tools and resources they need to move forward and reach their full potential.

Help continue to "Make the Best Better " by promoting the upcoming 4-H Tractor Supply Paper Clover Campaign for Chatham County!

National 4-H Week is Coming!

Join us for a fun filled 4-H week in Chatham County!

National 4-H Week October 3rd-9th

National 4-H Week is around the corner and will run from October 3rd- 9th. Chatham County 4-H will be sending out fun ways to get involved in the events and a 4-H Trivia raffle event via our Facebook page. So, stay tuned! More to come soon.

Broadband Resources for Cooperative Extension

Closing the Digital Divide Is Important to Teens

​A new survey by National 4-H Council, the Harris Poll, and the 4-H Tech Changemakers coalition found that teens believe unreliable broadband access contributes to economic and social inequities, perceptions of reduced career prospects, significantly lower digital literacy, and less confidence in their future success.

4-H Day of Service

The 4-H Youth Stepping FOURward (YSF) program is proud to announce the culmination of their community service virtual event and Phase 1 of their in-person event.

In a cooperative effort, the YSF group was able to amass 331 pounds of food benefitting the CORA Food Pantry and the West Chatham Food Pantry. Recipients from the food pantries were delighted with the donations and efforts made by the 4-H Youth Stepping FOURward program.

On September 25th, the group once again met to complete Phase 1 of their beautification plan for the Union Taylors Community Center in Bear Creek, NC. Phase 1 included building a raised bed around the center sign, putting in perennial flower varieties, and installing two solar lights to illuminate the sign at night. The group did an amazing job working together to complete Phase 1, and community members were pleased with the results. Chatham County United Way and N.C. A&T State University provided the funding which made this event possible. Thank you to our partners and volunteers who made this 4-H Day of Service such a success. Future phases of the project will include landscaping around the community center building, constructing raised beds for a community garden, and installing rain barrels.

Below is a short video from our 4-H Day of Giving from start to finish.

Rain Garden Installation Workshop

Rain gardens are bowl-like depressions in the ground that capture rainfall runoff from your rooftop and driveway and allow water to filter into the ground. The plants, mulch, and soil in a garden combine natural processes to filter pollutants from runoff and break down in the soil over time.

Join Mitch Woodward of NC State Extension and the Loves Creek Watershed Stewards for this workshop. Workshop Location: 207 E College Street, Siler City, North Carolina 27344

Parking Location: The Church of God, 909 S Chatham Ave, Siler City, NC 27344

Saturday, October 2, 2021

9:00-12:00

(RAIN DATE: October 16, 2021)

Online Plant Identification Classes

NCSU Department of Horticultural Science is partnering with Longwood Gardens to provide a fully-online introduction to plant identification. These courses will introduce you to the language of botany, plants with global popularity, a few special plants from breeding programs at top horticulture institutions, and cultivation information for key plant species. By learning the fundamental language of botany, testing it with games, and being exposed to a carefully selected cast of plants that exhibit key identification features, participants will be ready to deduce mystery plants anywhere in the world!

The courses are crafted to suit a range of learning types, including:

• Photo stories
• Video presentations
• Online fact pages
• E-book Flash-cards
• Matching games
• Vocabulary games
• Hundreds of beautiful images
• Guided backyard projects
• Mystery plant challenges
• Optional quizzes
• Illustrated vocabularies
• Conversation forum
• Badges and certificates
• Access to the instructor
• Site navigation assistance

These are asynchronous, fully online, self-paced, non-credit courses. You may participate anywhere that you have access to the internet. You will have access to the course resources 24/7 for the entire 6 weeks of the class and for 6 months after the course ends. There are no required presentations or any set times that you will need to meet online. Each course counts as a 3-week elective towards Longwood Garden’s Certificate in Ornamental Horticulture.

Ever wonder what that white-flowered shrub that is blooming along highways is?

That white-flowered shrub that you are see blooming along highways is probably Baccharis halimifolia, which is normally found more commonly in the costal plain but is slowly moving along roadsides and other disturbed habitats in the piedmont. To learn about this plant and many others, please visit the Plant Toolbox by clicking on the link below.

Fall is a great time to plant perennials!

New transplant plants can grow roots all fall and much of the winter, enabling them to better withstand drought stress the following summer. Consider Symphyotrichum oblongifolium (aromatic aster) which can bloom through October. You can see examples of aromatic aster at our (developing) demonstration garden at the Chatham County Agriculture and Conference Center, at Debbie's Pollinator Paradise Garden, and at the NC Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill.

Farm Visit Snapshots:

Grand Hope Farm

Brandon and Elizabeth Szilvay operate Grand Hope Farm in the western part of Chatham County near Siler City, NC. The farm has been in Brandon’s family since the early 1800s, and he is the sixth generation to farm the land, raising beef cattle and hay. In 2015, they started growing produce and marketing through farmers’ markets. Brandon and Elizabeth’s six year old son Cade loves helping on the farm, especially anything having to do with tractors! Grand Hope Farm is a North Carolina Century Farm.

October ForestHer Webinar on Prescribed Fire

Did you know that fire plays an important role in forest ecosystems? Join ForestHER NC landowners, natural resource professionals, and others for a webinar to learn about the history of fire in North Carolina and how prescribed fire is used to reduce the risk of wildfires, to benefit fire-dependent ecosystems, and as a tool for forest and wildlife management. There will be two webinars on prescribed fire on October 14 and November 18.

The History and Role of Prescribed Fire in North Carolina

October 14, 2021

1–2:30 p.m. EDT

(with an optional half-hour afterward for discussion)

Visit our Chatham County Farmers’ Markets!

Now is a wonderful time to visit one or all of our Chatham County farmers' markets! You'll find amazing flowers and foods like greens, meats, eggs, plants, and so many other wonderful locally grown products. You may even find the perfect pumpkin to take home!

Apply for NC AgVentures Grant

NC AgVentures is an NC State Extension program that provides grants to NC family farms and community organizations that support family farms, to develop new and innovative agricultural projects which will increase farm profits. Grants are available to NC family farms and community organizations that support family farms in Chatham County and other selected counties. The NC AgVentures Grant will be opening for new applications on October 15th.

The deadline to apply is 8 p.m. Dec. 15th, 2021. Submission is capped at 250 applications.

Equine Law Webinar Series

Equine Law Webinar Series: N.C. Cooperative Extension, Alamance and Chatham County Centers, are proud to present the Equine Law Webinar Series in partnership with R.L. Adams from Carolina Equine Law. This webinar series was designed with horse owners and equine businesses in mind.

Through this free webinar series, you will learn about several important topics including equine contracts, liability, and insurance. Each webinar will take place from 7:00 pm- 8:00 pm EST on the following dates:

November 4, 2021: Equine Contracts 101

November 16, 2021: Equine Liability & Insurance

Is your child between the ages of 8-18 and interested in learning about breeds, livestock judging, feeds, tools, and more? Join our Chatham County Youth Livestock Team! This team works hard to study and learn the materials in order to compete in both regional and state competitions. We competed in our first competition in July and are preparing for our next competition at the end of October. We would love to have you! If interested, please email Kristina Britt.

Change Is in the Air: The Miracle of Fall Colors

Every year at this time we revel in the beauty of the trees, knowing well that it is only a fleeting pleasure. Before long, the leaves will flutter away from their summer home and become a part of the rich carpet that covers the forest floor. Many people believe Jack Frost is responsible for the color change that takes place in our trees each fall. But we now know that changes in leaf color are the result of chemical changes in the leaf that take place due to certain weather conditions.

The most vivid colors appear after a warm dry summer and early autumn rains that prevent early leaf fall. Long periods of wet weather in late fall produces a rather drab coloration. Some of the most startling color combinations are to be found in the leaves of red and sugar maples, sassafras, sumac, blackgum, sweetgum, scarlet oak, sourwood, and dogwood.

In North Carolina, fall colors begin in the upper elevations of our mountains at the end of September, beginning of October, and run through early November as they spread across the state to the coast. To see fall colors consider visiting a state park or other outdoor attraction.

Farm Succession and Transfer

Estate planning is an essential tool in passing your land on to the next generation. By planning, you reduce the risk of forest loss and conversion, which is at its highest when land transfer occurs. To become better informed about planning your estate so that you’re prepared when the time comes, please visit the Farm Succession and Transfer portal as well as the Estate Planning and Administration subtab.

Broadband Resources for Cooperative Extension

NC Agriculture Digital Alliance Invites "Ag" Vocates to First Meeting

You are invited to join the first quarterly NC Agriculture Digital Alliance meeting!

October 13, 2021

1–2:30 p.m.

The purpose of the Alliance is for partners to learn, share, and collaborate to support digital inclusion and equity among the agricultural community. This includes sharing models and funding opportunities, finalizing a broadband and agriculture mapping project, and collectively completing a digital literacy assessment for agricultural communities inclusive of farmers, farmworkers, and family members.

The long-term objective is to promote better broadband infrastructure, adoption, and utilization to agricultural communities. Achieving our objectives would mean North Carolina’s rural agricultural areas would be connected via broadband and able to participate in the modern economy, receive health services, access educational opportunities, and many unconceived purposes.

What Is Digital Inclusion and Why It Matters: Two Workshops

According to National Digital Inclusion Alliance, Digital Inclusion is: Digital Inclusion refers to the activities necessary to ensure that all individuals and communities, including the most disadvantaged, have access to and use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). This includes 5 elements:

1) affordable, robust broadband internet service

2) internet-enabled devices that meet the needs of the user

3) access to digital literacy training

4) quality technical support

5) applications and online content designed to enable and encourage self-sufficiency, participation, and collaboration.

Digital Inclusion must evolve as technology advances. Digital Inclusion requires intentional strategies and investments to reduce and eliminate historical, institutional, and structural barriers to access and use technology. The Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) is working on Digital Inclusion in North Carolina. The Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) has announced a new round of funding from BAND-NC, a grant program designed to meet digital needs and make North Carolina “first in digital inclusion.” Register for this upcoming workshop, Introduction to Digital Inclusion Planning.

This workshop will be held on October 21 from 2:00 -3:30 p.m.

needs of North Carolina communities

The North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency is looking for local leaders to share their insights at focus groups on the needs of North Carolina communities that want to enhance resilience to climate-related hazards. Your feedback and ideas will directly inform the content and design of the North Carolina Resilient Communities Guide, a new state resource in development. We want to hear from local leaders, including local government staff, from a diversity of North Carolina communities. If you are unable to attend a focus group designated for your region or type of community, you are welcome to register for another group. We greatly appreciate your willingness to share your expertise.

If you would like to participate in one of these groups, please RSVP by registering for one of the sessions below:

Central NC and the Piedmont

October 4, 2021, 1-2 PM

Urban and Suburban Communities

October 5, 2021, 12-1 PM

Western NC and the mountains

October 6, 2021, 9-10 AM

Rural communities

October 7, 2021, 9-10 AM

Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin soup is perfect for a cool, fall day!

Knife Skills with Tara Gregory

Which knife should you use to cut a tomato? Would the same knife work to cut a slice of bread? In this video, Tara Gregory explains what types of knives to use and how to use them in the kitchen.

Helping Youth Understand Money

Once youth learn how to manage money, they gain an ability that is critical to making their aspirations a reality – and getting their dreams to life. Parents and other adults can support children in learning and developing money management skills by talking to them about money, planning together, and creating meaningful learning opportunities. There are a lot of different ways to help kids become aware of spending. Click on the link below for tips to help parents when explaining money with children.

History of Century Farm Families

In 1970, the North Carolina State Fair undertook the largest agricultural project in the fair’s history. To highlight the theme of its 1970 State Fair, "Salute to Agriculture," State Fair officials initiated a search for all families who have owned or operated a farm in North Carolina for 100 years or more. More than 800 farms qualified as a Century Farm.

Century Farm families were honored at a luncheon held in Dorton Arena at the 1970 N. C. State Fair. Agriculture Commissioner, Jim Graham, emceed the event and Lt. Governor Pat Taylor was the featured speaker. The Commissioner congratulated the families for their contributions to North Carolina. "The strength and depth of North Carolina lies with you people who have held the family farm together. You are the fountain head of our economy."

In 1975, Century Farm families were honored again at a luncheon held in the Kerr Scott building. The late comedian Jerry Clower provided entertainment. More than 750 Century Farm families attended the event. Thus began the tradition of periodically honoring Century Farm Families during the State Fair.

Today, there are about 52,000 farms in North Carolina, but only a little more than 1,800 have the distinct honor of being a N.C. Century Farm. North Carolina has a rich agricultural heritage and the Century Farm family program celebrates the many contributions farming has made to the state.

In 2016, Commissioner Troxler announced that the department would begin awarding Bicentennial Farm certificates to families who have had a farm in the family for more than 200 years. To receive a bicentennial certificate, the family must submit an application.

1988 commemorative book recognizes Century Farms in North Carolina

Century Farms continue to be recognized in North Carolina. In 1988, a commemorative book, North Carolina Century Farms: 100 Years of Continuous Agricultural Heritage, was published. This book provided a history of century farms in North Carolina. Every Century Farm family received a copy.

Chatham County Century Farms featured in COMMEMORATIVE BOOK

Below are two farms that were featured in the commemorative book. The Jordan Family and Norwood Family farms continue to operate today.

From Our

Chatham County Celebrates Cattle’s Important Role in the Community

PITTSBORO, NC— In order to celebrate Chatham County’s long history with cattle and bring greater attention to its quality beef and dairy products, the Chatham County Agriculture Advisory Board presented the Chatham County Cattle Celebration resolution to the Chatham County Board of Commissioners on August 18, 2021. The Board subsequently adopted the resolution. For additional information, please contact Jeannette Beranger, Chatham County Ag Advisory Board Member and Livestock Conservancy Staff Member (Senior Program Manager).

2021 is a landmark year for cattle as it is the 500th anniversary of the arrival of cattle in North America. Recorded history places cattle on the continent as early as 1521 when the appointed viceroy of New Spain, Gregorio de Villalobos, decided to take his chances and go against a Spanish law prohibiting cattle trading in Mexico. He acquired six Spanish cows and a bull from what is known today as the Dominican Republic and brought them to Veracruz, Mexico. The opportunity and its potential for growth and profit were too good to pass up. This marked the beginning of cattle cultivation in North America.

Since then, cattle have become an integral part of American agriculture – especially in Chatham County, NC. The county’s cattle production, which ranks third in North Carolina’s total cattle population, are a major part of Chatham’s community and local economy. Around 34,000 head of cattle reside on Chatham County pastures, resulting in one cow per 2-3 people. In addition to sheer numbers, Chatham ranchers produce high-quality cattle among a diversity of breeds including Brown Swiss, Pineywoods, Texas Longhorn, Belted Galloway, Hereford, Angus, Guernsey, South Poll, and Holstein to mention a few. This variety of breeds helps preserve a diversity of genetics for future farmers and land managers. Cattle can be raised as an environmentally friendly tool for maintaining pastoral, rural landscapes, while also yielding a local source of nourishing protein. Chatham cattle farmers pride themselves in producing both high quality products that focus on animal welfare and land management.

With several century farmers in Chatham County, many farmers are multi-generational and have learned the trade from their parents who learned from their parents. This deep history and appreciation for livestock creates an unmatched passion for the industry that is represented in the products they sell and the farms they operate. Chatham’s cattle farms may not all look the same or use the same practices, but they share the common goal of promoting agriculture, producing food to feed the community’s families, and seeing their way of life pass on to future generations.

Public surveys in Chatham County have made evident that preserving rural character is the most important goal among surveyed residents. Continued support of local farms is more important now than ever. Residents can support Chatham County farmers by buying local through the Chatham County Buy Local Guide or by downloading the Visit NC Farms App to your smart phone.

From the Chatham County Public Health Department

Face Coverings are REQUIRED when entering Chatham County Government buildings

Applications Open for Chatham EDC Small Business Fund

Small businesses in Chatham are now eligible for additional support for COVID-19 recovery. The Chatham Economic Development Corporation is launching the Chatham EDC Small Business Grant program, awarding grants of up to $5,000 to local small businesses. The purpose of the Chatham EDC Small Business Fund is to assist small businesses in Chatham County with their recovery from impacts of COVID-19 restrictions as well as to stimulate investment and business expansion in Chatham County.

Paper applications are available at the Cooperative Extension office (1192 US 64 West Business, Pittsboro, NC). Please use the WEST side building entrance to enter our office. Paper forms can be submitted to Ginger Cunningham, County Extension Director.

Agricultural Photo Contest Winners

The Chatham 250 Agriculture Photo Contest has ended. These photographs highlight agriculture in Chatham County, including agricultural landscapes, livestock, farm activities like planting and harvesting, farm equipment, and farm workers. Each contestant also included a written reflection explaining the significance of the photo.

The judging committee received many beautiful entries making this a difficult contest to judge. Winners were selected not only for the beauty of their photograph, but also for their thoughtful and careful consideration put into their reflection. The judging committee would like to thank all contestants for their entries. It was truly a pleasure to judge such wonderful photographs.

Chatham 250 is proud to announce the following winners:

11 - 17 Age Category: Macy Beavers

18 - 64 Age Category: Kristi Eskelund

Barbara Hengstenberg

65 and Older Age Category: Zen Shoemaker

Gary Simpson | All in a day's work

Congratulations to our winners and their captivating and engaging photographs!

​Winners received a canvas print of their photo, and winning photos will be published in Chatham Magazine.

The Chatham 250 Agriculture event is generously sponsored by Chatham County Farm Bureau.

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